20 countries moving to ban social media for children

The European Union is set to unveil proposals on Wednesday aimed at curbing addictive features of social media for minors. This comes as more than 20 countries around the world have taken steps to block or restrict children's access to social media, according to an AFP tally. Seven countries have measures already in place or set to be implemented, targeting children under the age of 15 or 16. Australia was the first country to introduce a blanket ban on social media for under-16s at the end of 2025, and the US state of California has also recently moved to tighten restrictions on minors' access to social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to present her proposals to the European Parliament on Wednesday.

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